Once Upon A December
by Jashin's BEYOTCH
Summary: (All time Low Story) I met the guys of All Time Low first year of highschool and now Jack's my fiance. But we have a slight problem...I have cancer and am supposed to be dead. Will I be able to fight off my cancer or will I force Jack to go through pain and suffering like I have.
1. Prologue

**Prologue **

There he stood, among the crowd that gather at the tragic event. The one that everyone had talked about for the past two days. Years before she was happy and full of life, but now her stone cold corpse lay in an eternal slumber. He wiped away tears that gathered to his chocolate brown eyes as his best friend rubbed circles around his back.

It was a very sad day for Jack Barakat and his friends. Today was the funeral of his best friend, practically sister, girlfriend, lover and fiancé. His lover's parents didn't bother to show up to place their youngest daughter into the ground, or even say a last goodbye.

Her parents never approved of her friends, music taste, and way of thinking nor how kind she would be to people who didn't deserve it. But to them, she was just a tool. She would always be a screw up and a failure. But to Jack and his friends, she was the most beautiful girl in the world. Her smile could light up a room and she could always turn their frowns upside down.

"Jack, it's your turn to speak." Alex Gaskarth, best friend, fellow band mate and practically brother, whispered into his ear. The tears still poured down Jack's face as He nodded and pushed through the crowd to the podium, where he would speak about her. Jack wiped away tears that spilled over as he began to talk about the love of his life, and send her off with as many happy words he could.

"Good morning." He announced into the microphone that sat upon the carpet. The crowd echoed his words back to him as he looked at the open coffin. Her lips held a victorious smile that made his lips twitch. 'Oh why didn't you stick around? I need you so much.'

"Good Morning," Jack repeated softly not bothering to tear his gaze away from his lover's cold face. "I want to thank you all for coming today. I know for a fact that she would have wanted it like this, with all of her friends and family members. I also want to thank you for all of your love and support through this. We needed it." Jack stopped to wipe at his eyes. The event was going to be hard on him. He was going to watch his life go down into the ground.

Emotions ran high through the building. The sadness and grief…Everything was over whelming. Everyone was thinking 'She shouldn't have died so young.' But the man at the podium just stood still, trying to compose himself.

"When I first met Abigail, I teased her quite a bit. I didn't know I had a crush on her. I cared more about her than anything in the world. I could always find comfort with her. One day she didn't show up to school. I was really worried to the point of not focusing at all. I found her at her parent's house with a fever and shivering that was when I realized I loved her." He picked the microphone off of its stand and moved over to the casket. A single tear slid down his cheek onto Abigail's icy flesh. He reached his hand down to caress her cold cheek and places a single kiss upon her forehead.

The crowd gasped at his actions but a few people nodded at them. Zach, Rian, Alex and Abigail's best friend Karly sat in the front watching Jack's actions like statues. Her death was hard on them too but still, they stood by their friend and held it together. Little did Jack know, Alex and his girlfriend Karly, stayed up until 4 in the morning just cuddling and crying. Zach and Rian had been staying at each other's house trying to keep each other happy and moving around. Zach has been at the gym almost 24/7 trying to keep his head clear while Rian has been with his girlfriend Cassadee keeping busy with drumming, writing, singing doing something mindless for him to take his mind away from Jack and Abigail.

The way that Jack was walking was almost a waltz around the room, going back and forth between the coffin and podium. He swayed as if he was swimming among the ocean but his eyes stay locked upon the coffin's corpse.

"I eventually asked her to go with me to the dance. She thought I was joking at first but who could resist me?" Jack gave a feeble laugh as he stopped walking. The crowd echoed his attempt at happiness but it too died all too soon. "We danced happily that night and that's when I asked her to be my girlfriend. She agreed and I loved every minute of it. Soon the band began to travel out of Maryland for gigs and she stood by my side. No one ever stood around that long."

Jack choked down a sob, making Karly grab onto Alex's button down shirt and start to cry. You see Karly wasn't a weak, feeble girl; quite the opposite in fact, She was strong and cunning, loyal and cheerful; but seeing her best friend dead in front of her made her weak. Why is it, out of the whole world, that the ones you need most leave?

"As the years went on, not a soul knew about her. Press would talk about 'supposed one-night stands' and we'd go along with it. But Yet, I didn't ask her how she felt about that. But she still stood by my side and comforted me. Everyday I'd tell her 'I love you' and she'd smile at me and ruffle my hair, replying 'I know you do, you big idiot.'" A smile graced his face as he looked down upon the ground. No one knew how she really made him feel but he would tell them soon.

Jack Barakat looked upon Abigail's face once more as he continued his story. "I remember moving in with her after dating for a couple years on and off because of touring for the both of us. We were laughing about a stupid thing like where we should put the plates and we just put them in the middle and said 'fuck it'. We sat on the living room floor and pretended to build a tent. We lied there for hours just fooling around and singing little songs that didn't make sense." He chuckled softly and so did the guys.

They remembered that night. Jack and Abigail had gotten an apartment in Baltimore and her's and his band helped them move in. The apartment was quiet even with the neighbors living next to them; they didn't mind the silence, but it was a change. Everyone had gotten calls telling them to come over and listen to how wonderful it was. Alex and Karly had denied with a 'We're going out, maybe some other time." Zach and Rian just refused to pick up their phones to play XBox with Abigail and Karly's band. Let's just say their phones were going crazy with all of the missed calls from Jack and Abby.

The air of the room grew warmer as the man recounted such events making the audience laugh. The people grew closer, bonding a bit more after hearing some stories from the other friends she held close. And as Jack continued telling his short tale, it almost seemed as if they were at a party not a funeral.

"Two and a half years after that, on the same December night that I originally met Abigail, I proposed at the small Coffee Shop she so loved. She agreed and we were engaged. We decided we were going to get married on May 25 two years from then. Those were the days when everything was happy and we were without a care in the world." The smile faded from Barakat's face as his tale grew dark. "That's when the dark days showed back up."

"I watched Abigail fade away piece by broken piece and by the time I tried to help her, it was too late. You might say 'It wasn't too late for her to change.' But you would be wrong. I lost her a while ago to her sickness." Karly sniffled loudly as Alex kissed her cheek.

Jack paused to let some tears slide down his cheeks and choke down sobs that threatened to come out. You would never see Zach crying even though he was a sensitive guy, but now the tears were running down his cheeks like rivers. Rian was holding his girlfriend tightly while still holding Zach's hand.

"We were going to get married soon." Jack sobbed out as May, Jack's sister, ran forward and hugged him tightly. It was hard to see her brother upset and as she rubbed his back and held him close; Jack sobs soon quieted down. He composed himself and finished his tale.

"I was on the phone with her when she passed. She acted as if it was her last day alive while I talked to her. But the last thing she told me was '_Jacky boy, promise me something. I want you to be happy and when you come home, read the note I left for you and hold it to your heart every night. I love you Jacky. I love you so much.' _Despite my pleading with her she still hung up the phone, raised the gun and shot herself." The audience gasped and as they did, Jack fell to his knees and grasped his lover's cold hand, crying.

"Why? Why Abby? Why did you leave me?!" He mumbled holding on to her hand tightly. May backed away looking at her own husband and grabbed his hand.

Abigail's eldest sister, Jennifer walked forward to her almost brother-in-law and pulled him into her arms. Jack's mind was in shambles, all he was thinking about was the love of his life, and how he could go on without her.

"Why'd she leave?" He mumbled into Jennifer's hair as she rubbed his back. Now this action was weird to him. He was only used to Abby or Alex doing that to him, not a woman who he sorta knew.

"It was her time.' Jenn cooed into his ear and as she rubbed his back his cried slowed to nothings and he was lifted to is feet. "You just need to finish a bit more. Go on."

Jack nodded feeling empty inside. He knew he could finish but he was really tired and just wanted to go home to his beautiful fiancé. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled a note out with writing on it. The letter smelled like Vanilla and manly deodorant that she would wear every day. Clearing his throat, he began to read.

"_Dear Jack_," He read softly leaning onto the podium for support. He had read this letter many times before noticing she'd write before she climbed into bed next to him and she never let him read it. But when she died, he was given it and he read it over and over.

"_Dear Jack_," He repeated once again. "_If you're reading this that means I'm dead. I don't mean to hurt you my love; but once again I'm picking up this black pen and writing in my own hand writing for your request. I hope you always cherish this letter; it might be the only thing left of me you'll have_." He could imagine Abigail writing this letter to him, sitting at the dining room table with such determination in her voice as she said what she would write.

"_I hated to leave on such terms, with the wedding so close and you about to go on tour; but this needed to happen. Jack'o please don't panic, but I have cancer. I've had it for two full years while touring, and our engagement. While we visited your family and mine, I had a type of pancreatic cancer that my grandmother died from._" His words stuck in his throat as he blinked back tears. 'I'm surprised I didn't notice it before but it was hiding in my plain sight.'

"_Jacky boy, don't cry please my love, the doctors thought it was gone for half of a year until it came back. I didn't want to worry you because I love you too much. But the time we held together was the best damn time of my life. I love you more than the world that's why its so had to let you go." _

_"You were my world and the fact that I have to leave you chokes me up more than anything because I know you're going to break and fall apart. I was in too much pain from the cancer and the chemo not working where the Doctors said they'd give me something to make me fall asleep for good. I'd never want that. I went out a way you'd understand I think." _

_"Jack Barakat, I fucking love you. I love you more than anything in every universe! Please! Please! Please promise me baby, that you'll be happy. Some days we like lemonade and some days were like razor blades baby, but I held on for you. I held on until my last finger slipped. So baby forgive me. I love you." _

_"Don't forget about me please. I'd hate that a lot but I want you to tuck me far back into your mind. I want you to get married, have kids and grow old with a beautiful woman or Alex. I've seen the way you two look at each other. :P_" Jack chuckled as Alex's jaw dropped. 'Oh Abby, you always knew didn't you?'

Alex's jaw hit the floor as Karly, Rian, Cassedee, and Zach burst into giggling fits over the whole event. Jack motioned Alex forward to him and because he didn't move fast enough, His girlfriend, pushed his bum forward with her foot. Alex stumbled forward quite embarrassed but the awkwardness had just begun because Jack pulled him close and quickly pecked his lips.

The audience gasped and people covered their eyes. 'Homophobes' Jack thought quietly to himself as Alex pulled away, blushing like a mad man. His cheeks matched the red of Jack's shirt.

Zach leaned into the girl next to him who was also one of Abby's best friends. Julia was her name and she used to date Abigail in high school before Jack and Abby became an item. But Julia was still really close to the frozen girl and wished she was still there. Julia leaned into Zach comfortably, as Jack continued to read.

_"Well baby doll, This is our last good bye I guess."_ The emotions swelled in his throat, and as he reached the end of the letter. "_I'll love you forever, Jack. I'll miss you and wait outside the pearly gates until you come and join me, love. See you soon, darling. Darling, you'll be okay. I don't ever wanna say goodnight. I've never been so sure; just do it for the memories…Do it for me. With love from the universe, Abigail Nicole Franklin. Xoxo ps. See you very soon." _

And with that the letter ended.

And with that, brought all the tears.

And with that, they closed the casket for many, many years.

But not without a kiss goodbye

And roses for the way.

With teddy bears and butterflies.

The days would fade away.

Soon the rain would stop.

And people stop to stare.

For without charming Abigail,

Their days would soon end there.

Jack placed her in his family's vault, where he hoped to join her in the future. But as he stood there long after the people closed the door, he whispered; "You're just a daydream away, dear. And I know. I'll sound crazy. But did you ever see what you did to me? Forever will never seem so long as when you're not around. It'll be like a piece of me is missing. "

He placed a single beautiful rose at the foot of the vault and turned around on his heal. Making his way back to the limo, he could'a sworn he saw her walking next to him.

It was the past as this story is told. Backwards to tell the wonderful story from short ago. I hope you'll take my hand, as I lead you on your way. And you'll learn about Jack and Abigail, the daring little strays. Let's tell from her point of view, so you'll know what she has to say.


	2. Chapter 1

It was a dark morning in Flower mound, Texas where it was soon to rain. I had been up for hours before hand, listening to the thunder crack and tree's sway violently in the harsh winds. What a lovely day to move, my mind told me as I watched my room light up from a lightning bolt that hit the tree next to my own.

For several years, I had hoped to leave this little town in Texas and move to a place where I could gain many more friends and opportunities for living instead of having to walk several miles to get to the mall where I worked. I'm 14 and the working age down here is very different than the working age in say for example, Pennsylvania, I've been stocking shelves since my 13th birthday at my mama's work Albertson's market place. It brings in some good cash, I cannot lie, but it hasn't left me with time to do my own things.

As another crack of lightening lite up the sky, I lifted myself off of the blankets I used as a bed since we boxed mine up and reached for my guitar. My parents had gotten my sister a guitar much like my own when she was 8 years of age but she never took care of it well. I on the other hand, had to work for it even when my eldest sister's husband bought me books on how to learn to play. I'd practice on my sister's until she got home and I'd hide the books away waiting for better days.

I strummed it lightly, careful not to wake up my family too early for my clock read '4;27' in its large ugly yellow numbers. My pale blue room was empty, pictures and posters of better days and favorite bands lay neatly folded inside of boxes and clothes sat in a suitcase that had seen far better days from sitting in our uninsulated attic for many years. Stuffed animals were placed in plastic garbage bags and all of my 427 novels lay in 4 separate boxes labeled with 'Fiction', 'nonfiction', 'biography' and 'witches'.

I closed my eyes and reached for the pick that always lay in my locket. I opened my locket to grab the pick then closed it before anything else fell out of my locket. The guitar lay on my lap and as I strummed it, I could feel my nervousness fade away. I soon heard myself playing 'Adam's Song' by Blink-182 and as I sang it softly, I could feel the tears travel down my cheeks. The song was beautiful.

"I never thought I'd die alone/I laughed the loudest who'd have known?/ I trace the cord back to the wall/ No wonder, it was never plugged in at all/I took my time, I hurried up/ The choice was mine I didn't think enough/I'm too depressed to go on/ You'll be sorry when I'm gone/I never conquered, rarely came/16 just held such better days/Days when I still felt alive/We couldn't wait to get outside/The world was wide, too late to try/ The tour was over we'd survived/ I couldn't wait 'til I got home/ To pass the time in my room alone/I never thought I'd die alone/Another six months I'll be unknown/Give all my things to all my friends/You'll never step foot in my room again/ You'll close it off, board it up/Remember the time that I spilled the cup/ Of apple juice in the hall/Please tell mom this is not her fault/I never conquered, rarely came/16 just held such better days/Days when I still felt alive/We couldn't wait to get outside/The world was wide, too late to try/ The tour was over we'd survived/ I couldn't wait 'til I got home/ To pass the time in my room alone/ I never conquered, rarely came/Tomorrow holds such better days/ Days when I still feel alive/ When I can't wait to get outside/ The world is wide, the time goes by/ The tour is over, I've survived/I can't wait 'til I get home/ To pass the time in my room alone…"

"You're still up?" A voice sounded from my doorway, causing me to jump. The pick slipped through the strings into the pit of the guitar.

"fuck!" I swore flipping my guitar over and shook the pick out.

"Umm I just really woke up. But I've been up listening to the thunder. Sorry for the noise mama." I said looking at the heavy set woman with lots of reddish-brown curls. She almost looked like Mrs. Wesley from Harry Potter but less mean. I love my mum a lot.

"You still scared baby girl?" She asked moving into my room and I shook my head.

"I'm not scared, just slightly nervous. I'm looking forward to going to Baltimore though." I looked back down at my guitar, listening as my mother walked into my room and sat down beside me. She played with my hair and I almost purred at the touch. It made me feel safe against the cold world.

"I know darling, but its for the better. We'll be closer to an airport for your dad and you'll be able to go to a wonderful school and make new friends. It'll be amazing." I smiled at her enthusiasm as she was practically bouncing. I knew she was happy about moving, I knew everyone was. I actually was too but it was weird leaving.

"I'd love to see it. It's going to be really cool."

"Good, I'm glad you see it my way. Well get some sleep Sunshine. You have a big day tomorrow." My mother said getting up from next me. She walked over to the door and smiled at me softly.

"Good night mommy. I love you."

"Love you too Abby. Get some sleep." My mother walked away from my room, down the hall to her room. 'Go to sleep' my brain echoed what my mother said.

"I'd rather not." I told myself looking out the window. The storm had gotten worse and the peach tree, that my dad planted when I was born, was hitting my window over and over.

'Abigail, sleep.' A little voice in my head told me once more.

"No thank you." I replied back opening my guitar's hard case and pacing my beautiful acoustic in it.

'Why not?' The voice deepened a bit from the high pitch it was. I recognized my best friend, Kayla's voice immediately.

"Kay?"

'Yeah Abbs?'

"You haven't talked to me in forever. Where did you go?" I asked the semi-transparent blonde girl. Kayla was my best friend but she died two years ago. She got hit by a car that was going 68 mph down a 30 mph street. She was killed on impact. Never got to say goodbye. I still miss her.

'I've been here, don't worry. Get some sleep though. I'll talk to you later.' And with that, my beautiful blonde dead best friend just walked out through my door. Fucked up I know, but spirits are quite interesting. Trust me.

I yawned locking my Guitar case. I lay down on the blankets and closed my eyes. What felt like a few seconds turned into apparent hours. Few seconds after I laid my head down on my pillow, my mother came in with a great big smile on her face and was shaking me awake.

"Get up, the moving truck's here." My mum said as I opened my eyes groggily.

"Wha?" I said covering my head with my blanket.

"Get up Abby. We gotta pack the truck."

"Okay." I replied sitting up and wiping my eyes. The sky was dark and it was still raining hard. The droplets beat upon the roof of the cars and house like the sound of beating drums. I stood up quickly and took my tee shirt off, switching it was a Blink-182 tee that I bought because I needed a new shirt. So why the hell don't I buy a band tee? My point exactly.

I switched my pants for a pair of dark blue denim and pulled my construction boots on over my last pair of socks. With a yawn I was finished, and I ran a brush through my hair then tied a bandana around my head to stop hair from sliding out.

"Frankie! Hurry your fat ass up!" My sister called from down stairs and I groaned Picking up two boxes and grabbing a bag of my stuffed animals. I carried the stuff downstairs into the foyer seeing everyone else had done the same thing and my dad seemed to try and back up the truck to our porch.

"I hope dad doesn't hit the-"; A thud sounded and I winced. "Too late." My father jumped out of the truck surveying the porches damage as the rain poured down onto the sidewalk.

"Bring the boxes out!" My dad yelled over the howling wind and Dani jumped to her feet and began to bring the boxes out. I ran upstairs to grab the rest of my boxes and carried them onto the moving truck that was full of furniture and personal items.

"I got the last one!" I called carrying the last box from my bedroom. I placed it on top of my other, the closed the moving truck's door. I looked at my mother then at my sister then at my father. Frowning, I picked up my calico and placed her in the cat carrier and followed in pursuit with the three others in to containers. The cats had plenty of room, water and food in the carriers so I put them close to the front door.

"Don't be a bitch Danielle," My father said as my sister was throwing a fit about leaving. Trust the 16 year old to throw a fit. I sighed and grabbed my wallet and put it into my back pocket. Well this was going to be fun.

"I'm not being a fucking bitch so grow the fuck up Jeff." My sister sounded out with a prissy voice. I sighed looking at girl I called a sister. She had short dirty blonde hair and big boobs. Yes she did now stop judging. She was wearing one of my tank tops and short shorts to go with it. Converse shoes adorner her size 8 feet and she stood glaring at him.

"Lets' go get on the road," I suggested bending down to retie my boots. I usually was the one to break up upcoming fights with them. It's really annoying to be honest.

"Good idea," My mother said walking to the front door. "Jeff, you and I'll be in the moving truck and Dani will be driving the van while Jenn takes Abby in the neon. Now come on." My mother was never fussy but she could always tell when they were going to fight. I sighed watching as my family walked out the front door with small smiles on their faces.

Dani got her way, Jeff and Karen would be in a bigger better house, and then there was me. I frowned as I placed my hand on the arch that connected the living room and the dining room. Memories were in that room, the swirled around like memories in a pensile. (harry potter reference.) I watched memories fly past me as if I were in the movie except no one else was there.

_"Mama! Look at this!" A little chubby second grader cried out walking through the house holding a handful of worms. Mama laughed and handed the girl a container and said,"Here this'll hold them." _

_The memory vanished to a fifth grader who was working at the island in the kitchen on her homework around Thanksgiving when her father came in and told her and her mother, who was cooking dinner, that her grandpa was dead. The little girl cried out crying loudly as she fought against her father's hug. _

_The scene changed once more to in 7__th__ grade the same girl, walking down her steps with a grin on her face. She was dressed in a pink shirt and jeans. She was going to go to a school dance type party. But her sister and mother kept insisting that it was a formal dance and she needed to wear a dress. _

_Once again the scene changed to more recent from a year and a half before. There the girl sat at her computer scrolling through her newsfeed. She saw a new notification and clicked on it. Her jaw dropped at what she read. 'Go kill yourself you fucking skank. No one fucking needs you.' She started to sob silently and as she went to remove the post on her page, she saw comments. 'Yeah slit your wrists!" "Hang yourself cunt!" "Jump off that bridge by your house!" "No one'll miss you!" Comment after comment arrived, making the girl cry even harder. She turned off her laptop and ran into the basement and grabbed the box cutter blades. A pack of ten was opened and used to cut up her skin. She went to school the next day with a dead look in her eyes and long sleeves hiding her cuts. _

I shuddered remembering that day and wiped away at invisible tears that burned in my eyes. The memory was so fresh it was terrifying.

"I won't miss you." I muttered walking out of the house and climbed into the neon with my eldest sister. We had a good 'heart-to-heart" session and listened to music. We listened to the radio as we drove from Texas to Baltimore, Maryland. It took almost three whole days but it was worth it.

The neon pulled in front of a large house, on a fancy street and looking at the house, I gasped. It was huge. It was no longer a double house with Sean (my step brother) living on the other side. It had a nice porch with an old fashioned feel.

"Woah." I breathed opening my door and shutting it. As I walked closer to it, the feeling of warmth and happiness was spread through me.

"It's huge." My sister replied getting out of the car and opening the front door to the house. Happy colors greeted me as I walked into the foyer and then into the Dining room. There were shades of soft yellows and pinks. Blues greeted us in the hallway to the steps.

"Wicked." I whispered, looking at the carpet cover steps and seeing the lights that trailed up the steps. A hundred fairy lights twinkled as I walked up the steps past them. The house was pretty and whoever had it before us took good care of it.

I walked down the plush hall and looked at the four bedrooms that sat on the second floor. The rooms were large and I grinned seeing a red room with black curtians that were never taken down.

"Jenn! I call this room!" I yelled planting my fat arse on the ground and relaxed into the wall. The room seemed to talk to me as I sat still not bothered by the words that fluttered off the walls. I couldn't seem to focus on whyat everything was saying until I opened my mouth to scream for quite.

"Shut the bloody hell up!" I yelled hearing slience. "Thank you." I replied running my fingers through my hair.

"Now one of you at a time. Why do you talk?" I asked frowning.

"You're the first one to hear us in a very long while. We got a bit excited. Sorry." A strong female voice replied and I nodded.

"Of course. Tell me about the house." I told them.

"It was built in 1994, so its fairly new. There has been less than 5 family's that have moved in the moved out within a year. There was a death when it was first built and as punishment we, the helpers, are forced to stay here in the house until it burns down."

"Oh wow. Didn't the borough realize that you disappeared?"

"No. There was a plane crash so they thought we were on it. It didn't bother them."

"Oh, umm I'm sorry." I said frowning.

"Don't be sorry. It's okay." The voices said before my sister's voice echoed through.

"Abby! Get down here! We need your help!"

"Coming!" I yelled standing up on my feet. " I'll be back soon." I told the voices as I took my hoodie off and sat it down on the carpet by the door.

I ran down the hall and steps along to the foyer and out the door only to return with all of my boxes and things and brought them up to my new room. I carried in tubs of ceramics and breakables and my mother's lounge chair.

After a long day of moving things in and around the house, a knock on the door caused me to pick myself off of the steps by the front of the house. I opened the door to see a few smiling faces and one that looked a bit too awkward for the job of greeting new people.

"Hello, welcome to the neighborhood." The woman said smiling and holding out a basket of what smelled like baked goods and I opened the door farther to welcome them in.

"Thank you. Please come in. Make yourself at home." I said, smiling softly. "Mom, Dad please welcome our new neighbors, the..." I paused to look at the lady.

"Barakat, dear. Nice to meet you. I'm Joyce." I watched as she handed the basket to my mother as my father shook the man's hand and the two teenagers greeted my two sisters with handshakes and open arms.

"Nice to meet you Joyce, I'm Karen. This is my husband Jeff and My three daughters Jennifer, Danielle and the youngest Abigail." My mother lead Mrs. Joyce into the kitchen as my father talked to the man as my sisters talked to the teenagers but my gaze still lingered on the awkward looking boy.

"Hi." I said looking down at our shoes. He wore vans just as I was and I noticed he wore tighter jeans that gripped his legs as mine hung looser.

"Hello. I'm umm Jack." He said so when I lifted my head up from the ground I smiled at his soft looking features. He had nice loking brown eyes and his hair was colored with blonde strips through it. He wasn't the handsomest man I've ever seen but he was still nice and gentile looking.

"Hello Jack, I'm Abby. Nice to meet you." I said fixing my shirt.

"You like Blink?" He asked and I nodded grinning.

"I love them! Adam's Song has to be my favorite. Wanna come upstairs and see the stuff I got?" I asked practically begging to get away from the adults while they talked about things I thought were stupid.

"Sure maybe I could help you put some posters or whatever up?" He asked and the air was beginning to lose its awkwardness.

"Yeah! Thanks dude." I told him as I lead him up the steps to the red and black room which was more exciting than the rest of the house. I loved it.

"Your room is really cool! Did you paint it like this?" He asked looking at the black stenciled work I didn't notice before. They were as if someone painted the swirls and such around the room. I smiled silently thanking who ever done it.

"No, This is the first time I've been here. Though I must say, it is cool!" I told him and Jack nodded in agreement.

"Yeah it is." I opened up a box with my posters and tape as we began to put some stuff up around the room.

"Where should we put your bed Abby?" Jack asked and I shrugged.

"Maybe over here by the closet?" I replied picking up a screwdriver and the screws for the bed.

"Okay." Jack replied shooting me a smile as he grabbed one of the metal frames and I began to screw the stuff back in.

"Thanks a lot Jack. I really appreciate it." I told him as we finished screwing my bed together. "Wanna help me bring up my dresser? It's too big for me to carry it alone and you have some muscles."

"Sure. Let's go." I walked out of the room and heard Jack follow me through the hallway. It was quiet, as if both of us were trying to figure out what to talk about. So when we walked into the dining room and heard everyone still talking, Jack piped up.

"So what do you think of Baltimore so far?" He asked tilting the dresser so I could grab the bottom.

"It's interesting to say the least. Haven't explored-watch your step- much of it, but I have the rest of the month to do that. What's your favorite place in Baltimore?" I asked as we made it up the steps. I could feel the strain on my arms, and my chest started to hurt from it.

"We're almost there come on." Jack said turning into my room and it slipped from both of our grips. It was slow motion as the dresser was going to fall into Jack and crush him, I jumped from behind the dresser and pulled him out from under the dresser before it fell on top of him.

"Woah," He said looking at the dresser that must have weighed a 80 pounds laid on the floor then at me as if I had done something wrong. "What did you do?! Why did you do that!?" He pointed at me like I had done something so terribly wrong.

"I didn't do anything, what did I do wrong?!" I cried out in fright. He was so angry and I was so scared that the only person I had possibly had a chance of being friends with was completely angry at me over stopping him from getting crushed.

Jack stayed quiet and so did I. All he did was stare at the ground a hard look on his face. Tears began to gather in my eyes as he just stayed quiet and looked at the ground.

"What did I do?" I asked once more but all that answered was silence. "Fine, don't tell me. Would you still help me?" I asked and he nodded.

"Where should we put this?" He asked, his voice trying not to break.

"Where ever you think will be okay." I replied picking the front end of the dresser and turning it for him to pick up the other end.

"Let's push it over to the wall by the door. That'll do."

"Okay." I watched Jack pick the other end up and we walked together to the wall. I watched him tilt his end down and I did the same. "Thanks and I'm sorry." I told him reaching into one of my boxes to discover that it wasn't my band box but my clothing box.

"Nice bras Abby." He said with a wink. My face dropped as I reached for the black lacy flower bra that my mother bought for me the year before and put it on himself over his Kiss shirt.

"Jack! Give that back!" I cried out reaching for him only to trip over my feet and fell right into his crotch.

My face erupted into a scarlet color and I just started shaking. I pulled away from the shocked Jack, lips trembling and biting my lip as I pushed myself back into a corner of the room and began to rock back and forth.

The walls were closing in and I couldn't breathe. It was almost if someone was choking me, well someone was. I was. I tried taking deep breathes in and out but it didn't help. I could hear someone calling my name but it was fuzzy. I began to cry, my sobs came out choppy from not being able to breathe.

"Take deep breathes. Abby come on." My vision came into focus as the voice kept calling my name.

"Come on you can do it. I know you can. Please come back." Jack's voice came in strong and I saw Jack kneeling in front of me, a worried expression on his face. He had his one hand cupping my cheek like he was supporting it as I tried to look down.

I noticed his body language was for him being way to close for comfort. I saw it was a strain for him to be so close to someone he just met. I saved him and he saved me. I don't know what to do.

"Thanks Jack." I told him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He jumped at the contact but soon eased himself to the point of returning the hug. I just clung to him keeping myself breathing deeply, In and Out, Over and over again until I was settled down.

"Anytime dude. My best friend suffers from Anxiety and Panic attacks too so you're not alone." He replied pulling away from me. "You're secrets are safe with me Abigail…" He stood grinning. "For now. See ya later kitty-kat." My heart leapt in my throat as he walked out of my room and out of the house to be my guess.

I sat on my floor for the longest time, just thoughts running through my head. I don't remember them but they were foul. I looked around my room seeing all of the boxes most of them still neatly packed from almost a week ago.

Everything was tidy and orderly. The boxes were stacked three up to each tower. I had a dresser now brought up thanks to Jack and my bed was put together. I pulled myself off of my carpet and made my way over to where my mattress laid leaning onto the wall.

"Let's go to bed." I told myself and moved the mattress onto the bed spread. I then dug through my clothing box and pulled out a sheet and blankets. I laid my blankets on the bed and crawled in pulling the blankets over my head, fretting everything.

I shouldn't have trusted Jack I shouldn't have asked him to help me. My mind was filled with useless things as I fell asleep.


End file.
